Heart of Gotham
by mymotherthesc0
Summary: A family of orphans fighting to stay alive in the elaborate maze of underground Gotham. Something is lurking beneath the surface, a feral beast, killing without mercy. First one, feedback is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Winters were the hardest. Summers in Gotham could be just as miserable, sweat dripping on the concrete; but it is the most miserable during the winter. The sleet ridden and carnivorous winter, where criminals are made and heroes are born. As snow fell and ice formed, the city's surface teemed with feral energy. The children of Gotham were aimless as they scrawled about the city like wild monkeys, scrambled over the rooftops and slunk in the underground heart of the city. To the heart, the warm and thriving heart where they went in the winter; to the sewers, to the festering paradise where the only ones rejected were the ones that could not survive.

Ariadne and her siblings could not remember a time when they were not in the sewers. Even in the olden by gone days they clambered about its structure, seeking hidden treasure and chasing local alligator legends. Ariadne knew the labyrinth well enough as a young child. But now she could not remember a time when she did not know every exit or every drain in the city. She forgot the feel of an individual bed, and could not remember the absence of four little bodies that gathered around her for warmth. Food was now a privilege and kindness was a luxury, no pity to be seen here. No, the sewers of Gotham, the heart, was where childhood crawled to die. Adults were made in the sewers, the weak were left to rot.

Ariadne wasn't sure of her age anymore, she could have been anything, sometimes she was fourteen, other times she was seventeen and sometimes she was twelve. All she was sure of was this: She had four siblings: Lara, Sara, James and Ethan and that out of them all, she was the oldest. They lived together in a huddle below the bank of Gotham, near enough to a grate so that both the sun and lamplight trickled into the grate-opening.

In the mornings, Ariadne would make the climb out and scavenge the streets for jobs. Legal, illegal, it didn't really matter, with four younger children any money was good money. She made a decent amount here and there, she made both good and bad connections; some cops, some pimps. The people always lauded over her ability to control what she could control, to never bite off what she could not chew. Though at times, her connections and jobs clashed, she always managed to skim by without any real consequences.

"Careful though." some advised, "With Dent, the whole city is being watched." Jobs in that part of the world were slimmer and slimmer. As a last resort Ariadne would always go to the street corner of the Market District. There she would go to her connection, an ex-grifter named Cal, and he had the same response every single time.

"Wanna make the money you want to? Go to school, or become a prostitute, either way you'll be sellin' that pussy." he would spit and rock back and forth on his plastic crate with five newspapers strewn underneath and his cigar smoke would plume up and over his swollen face. "Why're ya askin' me, girl? The Gotham I knew is gone, lost to the new...now we gots new folk, bold folk...reckon you don't fall in wit' dat kinda crowd, eh Ari?" she smirked, thanked the old man, and took off down the street.

Ariadne wasn't much for hope, or change, every time either would come around she would always manage to screw herself. She knew that even as she walked past the crowds pouring out of stores and homes. She would become increasingly self conscious, aware of the stares regarding her dress and smell. She knew she was out of place, since the Dent Act vandals had all but disappeared to what she called Top Gotham. But in the world she established as True Gotham they were anything but, the halls of True were filled to the brim with its degenerates, good and bad. Top Gotham was the same way, one just had to know what they were looking for. Ariadne looked around a lot in the city section established as Old Gotham, if there were any dangerous or illegal work being done, it would be in that sector. Sometimes, Ariadne would find something, often times she found nothing. Today she found Jebb, who owned a rotting food stand that he called "organic" if she talked to him long enough, distracted him, she was often able to steal seven or so items of fruit up her long sleeves. The approach, to her, was considered to be an art form, it had its rules and techniques, and the strategy changed every time.

"Hey'ya Jebb," she purred, rustling her shaggy hair, "How's business a'goin?"

"It ain't," he spat. "haven't had a cust'mer all day, didn't have any yesterday neither, what's with these assholes?"

"Maybe no one wants fruit this week?" she coyly cough as she handled a juicy orange up her sleeve.

"Who the fuck wouldn't want fruit? This is delicious shit I'm sellin' here."

"It's December Jebb." Ariadne laughed, three now were up the tightening sleeve. She was careful to angle her body so that Jebb would notice only her peaking collarbone that snuck its way out of her heavy coat and sweater. It was dirty, she knew this, but it was still skin she figured.

"So the fuck what? Anyways..." he paused and sniffed the air, "Christ girl, when was the last time you had a bath?"

"When was the last time you had one?" she snarked as she pushed a fifth up her jacket.

"Hey, I bathe everyday okay? Unlike you gutter rats, I tell ya, I'm gettin' real sick of this shit. I have to freeze my ass off while rich assholes sit in their mansions peeing into mason jars. It just isn't fair."

Ariadne giggled. "Well, in the summer you'll make what ya deserve, then you can pee into all the mason jars ya want." With that she would usually turn to leave and casually, but briskly walk away. But today was different, today was unfortunate. As she flung her arm to meet her hip a single orange slipped between the fabric and her arm. With horror she watched it fly through the air and hit the ground with a singular PLOMP. Both her and Jebb stared at each other, and Jebb's face contorted into a mask that was anything but humor.

"Goddamn it Ari, again!? How many this time!?" he seethed, picking up the ruined orange. "I need the money you tramp!"

"You need money, and my family needs food." she nervously coughed. "What can a person do?"

"Put it back you nubile slut." he breathed. She would have done it to, if not for the latter comment. She smiled darkly and tensed. Her hands flexed and her arms poised themselves in preparation for a steeple chase.

"Or what Jebb, you gonna call the cops? Or worse, the Batman?" she laughed as Jebb half lunged for her. It was all she needed as she took off into the street, with Jebb closely following. "Officer!" he cried "Officer!" Usually it meant a cry of surrender, that ol' Jebb was simply too out of wind and smoked too many cigarettes. But this time was different, out from the crowd stepped a young man, and as he sprinted off towards her, Ariadne knew it was time to kick it into fifth gear.

Fleeing the scene was a difficult task, even in Old Gotham there were still a lot of people, and weaving between them proved to be a challenge.

"HEY!" shouted the cop. "STOP!" Ariadne rolled her eyes at the ridiculous plea, she dove out into the area of the road where the cars were parked and pushed herself to speed up. A grate, she needed to find a grate, only then would she be safe. No cop ever went into True Gotham, legend had it that they would burn on the spot from sheer hypocrisy. As her eyes scanned, the cop's breathing became louder his footsteps faster, he was upon her when she saw it. Taking action she dropped like a dead weight and slid between the large gap of the grate's mouth. With a heavy crash she entered the sewer, looking up she saw the cop kneeling beside the grate, his dark outline contrasting the bright gray light. She stood there at the mouth, then cop's eyes met hers.

"You stay there, you here me? That's not a place for you, I'm gonna lift this up, and I'll get you out of there!" His face was thin and he had an honest look about him. But that's not what drew Ariadne to stay, she saw something else, something darker. Anger, she saw anger; maybe not at her, but the eyes reflected a deep and understandable anger, something that she had not seen in anyone besides herself.

"Hey, do you hear me?" he asked. "Say something, I can't see if you're there or not."

"I'm here." she replied, "for now."

"No, no don't move!" he snapped. "Please, you don't know where you are. That place is dangerous."

"It's only dangerous to you." she smirked. "You think you know this place, trust me pig, I'm a lot safer here than up there."

"Well," grunted the officer. "It doesn't matter now, you're there and I'm here, so...uh,here I come." She stood there until the last possible moment, until she saw the light pouring in. Until she was sure that the man saw her face. She wanted him to see her face, because she saw his, it's only fair she would think to herself. She wanted him to see her look of smug assurance. She stood there until the last possible second, she even saw the grate come up, then and only then, did she turn heel. By the time the grate had fully shifted, she was gone. Vanished, like a shadow.

He stood in the sewer for a while. He did not venture beyond the latter, he wouldn't dare. This was not a place for him, and the darkness was overbearing. He looked back and forth, wondering if the young girl would come back but she never did. She looked young, but she also looked older, it was hard for him to pin the age. Her face, he had seen her face, it looked dirty and yet, young and fresh. He saw something though on her face, before she fled from the grate; a look, flash. He saw on the child's face a look of indignation, of cleverness, but all were suppressed by the hint in her eye. A deep seeded anger, teaming at the surface, brought to light just like her crime. As he stood there he pondered this, his dispatch crackled in, breaking his line of thought. He glanced up and down the sewer hall again, a creeping fear gripped him. The air buzzed with dark danger. Swallowing, he slowly turned and climbed the latter. Above he peered one last time into the mouth of the maze before replacing the seal over it. _There's something wrong with that place, _he thought, something ancient and dark sleep in those tunnels. Some dark energy roaming since the founding of Gotham, something deep; something dangerous.


	2. Chapter 2

James hated the feeling of waking up, no amount of time could make him adjust to sleeping on concrete. As he sat up, he slowly looked around their domed closet of a shelter. Light poured through the grates, he merely squinted at the light, unaccustomed to the day. He looked at his brothers and sisters and noticed that Ariadne had already left for the day. As he stood up, he shook the dirt that clung to his winter coat. At eight, he was a tall boy, in height he almost matched his oldest sister. He looked like her too, shaggy brown hair, freckled faces and striking blue gray eyes. He and most of the siblings looked like clones; pale, sturdy and most importantly, all were tall in their own right.

James's height came with a far more valuable skill in True Gotham: speed. No one in the sewer could challenge his pace. Other children stood back and either whispered reverence or hissed envy as they gazed on his incredible stamina. However, James was not without practice; every day he would take a sprint in the west sector of True, while the other's stayed at Gale's. The feat of combing through West sector would be challenging enough for someone, it was several layers down; deep, dark and often times, uninviting. James made sure that he was always with company, local boys or even his sister. They would often challenge and push themselves, doing elaborate stunts and jumps. Much of the Western sewer was dilapidated, even more so in the lower bowels, near the water. The rusty iron bridges creaked and were on more than one occasion gapped. Still James flew, jumping and twirling around, one would have thought he was born to the true city.

"Hey...Lara," he nudged at his second oldest softly, "Lara, its daylight." James was a gentle and soft spoken child, a quality that loomed over his survival abilities like a demon.

"Shit." groaned Lara, "m'kay wake up the others...god, its freezing." Lara blew into her hands, still seeing her breath. She glanced at the dead fire that sat two or three feet away from their shoes. She grumbled, it had taken her and Ari hours to build, remembering bitterly. She bit off a curse, already bitter about the day. She sniffed as she looked to James waking up her sibling, Ari was gone, of course. Once again, she was left to do the sewer work.

As the second oldest, Lara had the shortest hair, _practicality _she would snide at her family and friends, _if I'm not going to clean it why should I keep it long? _Lara was described as the most practical of all the siblings. She was also the tallest; a tall and strong young woman with the same eyes as James and Ari. Lara was often depicted as rough and blunt, speaking like a coiled snake, aimed to strike: Exact, cunning and deadly. She often won both arguments and barters with her voice. It was because of her voice that they had blankets, or for that matter, shelter. But with this tact came a sense of impatience and brutality, particularly directed towards James. "Come on guys, I want to eat sometime today."

"What's we gots to eat?" asked Ethan, the youngest as he sat up scratching his brown head, rubbing his blue eyes.

"You'll eat what we got, how's that work for you?" Lara chided.

"I'd rather starve." stood Sara, the youngest girl, as she combed her long hair through her fingered gloves she stared down her elder with her acute hazel eyes. "I'm not eating anything from that can, looks like shit."

"This _shit," _retorted Lara, "is food, and any food is better than none, so sit down an' eat." Sara glared as she sat down on the cold ground again. Lara began passing out the canned artichokes that Ari managed to scrape from up Top. She didn't even bother telling her sister off about swearing, when you lived in this pit manners became a relic of old ways: forgotten and often demeaned.

"Lara, you gonna come with us today?" asked James, with a hopeful gaze. As hard as Lara was on James, he looked up to her, constantly seeking her approval.

"Can't, gotta go visit Spears on the south end, gotta pick up the new transmitter for the heater." she remarked.

"Is that why we've been building a fire at night?" asked Sara as she glared at the hunk of metal. A few weeks ago, the old heater that Ariadne had grifted died, ever since then it was a day by day effort to find parts to replace the parts.

"Yeah." responded Lara as she gulped another lump of the cold artichoke. They ate in silence, saving their energy for the day to come. In time they all stood up, Lara glanced at each can, checked for an unfinished portion. When she came to Ethan he hid his eyes, lowered his head in guilt. She looked down, almost a half can this time.

"Eat it." she demanded, pushing the can to his lips. Ethan coughed and gagged as he slipped each morsel down his throat. Once he was finished, Lara grabbed his face so that their eyes met. "You've gotta stop this Ethan, you don't eat, you don't live, got it? Ari and I risk our hands for this food. This food is your energy, no energy, no strength...the sooner you get that, the longer you'll be able to run down here."

"Yes me'em." mumbled the child. Lara quickly took all three of the children into her arms and squeezed them. "You all be same, hear? You check in with Gale at noon, Sara and James? You stay away from Manny's gang, you hear?"

"Bu-!" cried Sara.

"No," interrupted her sister as she pointed a stern finger. "That gang owes all the wrong things to all the wrong people, you run with him, yer bite off what ya'll can't chew." She released the children and turned to pack her sack, she was going to need every once of bravery today, crossing the sewers was a feat that she had no joy in doing. The others, Ariadne and the rest, seemed to have no trouble running and clambering in the darkness of the maze. Lara dreaded it, she could not read the halls like the other children, she neither ran nor jumped like the others, the only trait that she had was her mouth. Plus the journey would take her through the deepest and most feared part of the sewers: the center. Almost none traveled through those parts if they could help it, most went topside in order to avoid going through it, but Lara knew going to Top would be almost a two day journey. Something that she could not waste. The others must have seen her gestures, soon a reassuring hand was placed on her shoulder, James's.

"You goin' through the center today?" asked Sara, a worried tone trembled through her voice.

"Yeah, have to, takes to long to go up and I would rather avoid the east section, too much scuffle over there."

"Come with us through the western sector." probed James.

"Nah, foundation's too old over there and I'm too heavy." she sighed. "Nah, gotta go through the middle." Making a whistle as she chopped her palm through the air.

"You should wait for Ariadne, then." suggested Sara, "or...at least bring...um...James," a look of panic shot through James at that. "or me." she added quickly.

"No." breathed Lara as she stood up again and slung the pack over her shoulder. "No offense, but no one here is ready for that yet, and I don't want to wait for Ari, it'll be...night by then."

All went quiet at that remark, it was known throughout True Gotham that the devil roamed at night. A black inky figure that rumbled through the pipes, in search for the souls of the lost and misplaced. Dead man, that's what the populous named those seen out after dark. Dead men, who walked into the black and never came back. _Horse stories, _Ariadne would laugh trying to act tough; however, Lara knew, legend or not, nothing good ever came out of the sewer at night. Knew that safety was only achieved in groups, where the fires were built and the voices of the living were heard.

Lara gulped and looked at the anxious faces of her family. She gave them a reassuring laugh, "Awww, I'll be alright, I'm strong and I know what to do if I get lost."

"Follow the bats?" asked Ethan.

"That's right," she smiled, stooping down to rustle his mangy hair. "I'll follow the bats...so remember, Gale's at noon, stay away from Manny and be home by sundown or be sure that you've found shelter...well, good luck guys. I love y'all." And with that she turned and left the children standing in the small rays of light.

"She'll be fine," remarked Sara. "Her n' Ari always go through the center."

"Yeah, but Ari knows that part, Lara don't." replied James.

"She''ll follow the bats!" exclaimed Ethan.

"Well that's the thing." stated James solemnly. "There are no bats in that part of the sewer."

True Gotham was an elaborate jungle with canopies and levels. Most sectors had four levels, excluding the top ground. Traveling and living were in the top two levels, third and below was uncharted territory. Down in the lower parts of the sewer, nearer to the water, turns became more complicated and the maze tightened. If someone lost their way, it was easy to assume that they would never get out. So the adults devised a system of keeping track, each carried with them a white chalk and flashlight. At every turn they were to mark the corner with a singular white bat. The more bats on the wall, the safer the route. James and the others never went down paths that had three or less, going down those routes often spelled death for the traveler. Manny and his crew reveled in exploring those dark corners, took pride when they crossed into the black. Sara and James were often corralled into joining Manny, pressured into proving their own levels of bravery.

Sara nervously glanced around for Manny as they trekked to Gale's hut in the Northwestern sector of the sewer. They would have to climb down for a good hour or so before reaching him, and an interruption by that gang would only hinder them.

"Ya think we'll run with em today, Sara?" asked James as they climbed down their forth ladder.

"I dunno, depends on where they go." shrugged Sara as she reached the bottom. "If they go to the west I don't see why not."

"I don't get why we have go there." James plopped beside Sara and together they carefully helped Ethan. "I would just rather stay home if it's gonna be like that."

"No gators, though." stated Ethan. Sara simply shrugged again, as she set her brother on the ground.

The western foundation had been built underneath the former Narrows of Top Gotham, everyone used to tell stories of mad men and monsters that ran about the levels, committing violent acts on unsuspecting children. Nowadays the areas were so marked up that the fun was almost gone. Still, emboldened children believed in finding mad clowns and other horrors in that part of the sewer. They would squeal in delighted terror as they ran and fumbled through the moss grown steps and the bacteria ridden vines that grew from the ceilings. A repugnant jungle gym, Ariadne called it, Sara smiled at that thought she figured that if Ari wasn't scared then there had to be no real danger.

"We gotta get Ethan to Gale before anything else." Sara stated as she pointed her flashlight towards the wall, almost covered in a swarm of white bats. "This way."

"We know where we're going." scoffed James. "We've been this way so many times, I could do it blindfolded."

Sara merely shook her head with a smug grin on her face, but as they brushed the edge of the Northern sector to connect with the Western their moods shifted. Quiet and hushed they were, taking their turns in the labyrinth with extreme care. Sara had to keep herself from trembling at the creeping sensation that seemed to crawl from the southern paths. A few turns from their spot and they would be at the beginning of the Center, that dark place effected them even from where they stood. Eventually three turns along the walls became two and then one. Until finally, they reached a single long ladder and began their ascent up towards Gale's. As Sara climbed she looked down into the pitch black, the darkness gathered around her as James's light climbed further and further away. She then heard something she had not heard before in that part of the tunnel, a clang like the sound of metal being hammered.

"James!" she whispered. "JAMES!? STOP CLIMBING!"

James stopped, "What is it?"

"I hear something."

"Oh, shut up, you don-"

"No, be quiet and listen, shh!" she interrupted.

All sounds and movement stopped for the children, James listened with acute awareness, he could feel his ears move like radars for a sound. And then, he heard it too. Faintly, in the distance a deep metal rumble coursed throughout the walls. They reminded James of jungle drums, something signaled throughout the deepest parts of the world. The sound continued for a breath or so longer, and then abruptly, stopped. The children dared not breathe, Sara at last spoke in a harsh whisper "Come on! Let's get going!"

Not another word was spoken until they were sure that at least four flights of ladders separated them from the tunnel. They marched in silence until they made their way into the open amphitheater like hall of the Northern Sector. Relief washed over Sara as she saw the Waterfall pour over the creaking iron bridge that extended across the center of the pit-like complex. Arches and ladders provided natural homes for those who lived in the sector; most residents of this sector came straight from the old Narrows. It was crowded, loud and teeming with vagrant life.

Gale's complex was three ladders up, as they passed each level, they received a gruff hello or greeting from the other residents. They reached Gale's and saw that he was in his usual spot: dead center and in a chair as big as the man himself.

As they approached, the children had decided not to tell Gale of the noises they had heard on their journey over, it would only give him another excuse to distance himself from the children. They watched as Ethan ran happily over to the old man, who sat in his old chair that sagged even more when he took Ethan into his lap. Sara and James smiled warmly at their brother's response to Gale. They liked the man well enough; true, he had a car salesman's demeanor, but he was dependable in areas of care-giving and nourishment. Gale was also the first connection that Ariadne made when they first came to True Gotham. Sara thought it was rather odd that he was their first contact, but despite his attitude he was a decent man. He was the one who showed them the tricks of living, allowed them to share his roof until they could stand on their own, and still provided care of Ethan while Lara and Ari were working.

Yes, Gale was a kind man to say they least, he could have been the kindest; but only if the price was right.

"Yer sister give ya money?" he spoke cheerily, smiling with his yellow teeth as he ran his fingers through his balding grey hair.

"Next time, she promises." stated Sara, Sara was the only one allowed to dictate to Gale when the older two were not present. Despite Gale's inherit nature, he was still tricky and at times ruthless, one was always careful with the citizens of True Gotham.

"I ain't no babysittin' service, ya know" he chuckled as he gave Ethan a squeeze from his rotting recliner. "People gotta eat."

"She knows." remarked James, who quickly looked down at Sara's harsh gaze.

"She understands," continued Sara, "She promises the pay and a spot by our heater for you next time."

"Yer outta yer goddamn mind if I'm goin' all the way North to visit y'all in the boonies, girl." he smirked. For once, Sara wished that they still lived in the Western sector, the North was closer to Top Gotham, but here was where the people resided.

"Well, sir, I already figured you were out of your mind." she smiled coyly, "Anyone would have to be, living down here."

"Can't argue with that logic." he smiled back. "You smart ass, becoming more n' more like your sister everyday."

"Didn't say which one." replied Sara.

"Didn't have to." said Gale as he raised a fuzzy grey eyebrow. James squinted at the remark, wishing that it had been directed at him. Suddenly, Gale's face tensed as he looked over the children's shoulders. "Yer friends er here." he growled.

James looked over his shoulder to see tall, redheaded Manny standing there. Thin as a popsicle stick and mean as a snake, he stood there surrounded by two girls and five other boys. He thumped a small wooden bat over the open palm in his hand, grinning slyly at both Sara and James.

"Whadd'ya hooligans want?" spat Gale angrily.

"Just seeing if Sara and James wanna play." chortled Manny, his voice brimmed with pride.

"Can't say they do." retorted Gale, "From what I hear around here you play rough, tell me Manny, how many kids you leave in the black today?"

"Shut up, old man!" spat a follower. "You can't talk to Manny like that."

"Child I can talk to anyone I want to in whatever fashion I want to." he replied, taking Ethan in closer to his chest. Manny stood there like a Praying Mantis, quietly biding his time.

"That's alright, old man," he shrugged, "if they can't play out here, guess we'll play in here, let's start with the young one." He smiled as he took a step in, Sara then spoke out.

"Nah, that's cool Manny," choosing her words carefully, "We'll run with you today, right James?" James nodded slowly, sensing the rising and falling tension. Manny looked pleased with this answer.

"All right, we'll wait downstairs fer ya'll, hurry up though. Time a tickin'"

"You mean the clock's a tickin, ya fuckin' idiot." remarked Gale, not avoiding the scorn ridden gaze of Manny. When they left, the children turned to Gale, his face etched in anger.

"Don't like that kid, something on him doesn't stick." he glared at the children. "Like I said before, I ain't no babysitter, do what you gotta do, be back before three cause here or not, I'm tossin' yer brother." Ethan looked aghast, but James and Sara knew with a solemn understanding that he was perfectly serious.

"Yes sir." they both said. They gave their brother a quick hug, they made a false promise to him that no matter what Gale said, he didn't really mean it. As they climbed the ladder they could hear Gale still over the railing. "N' tell your sister I want my fuckin' money!"

They met in the middle bridge, Manny smiling his wide smile, his thin lips stretched over his teeth. The children all huddled together to keep from shivering as Manny explained. "Need ya'll for a job today." By a job he meant exploring, which meant going to the bottom level, to the polluted river where the waterfall dropped. "Gonna find us some treasure."

"Where?" asked James, dryly.

"Where, what?" spat a girl.

"Where is this treasure?"

"Deep." stated Manny. "It's real deep."

"No," said Sara, "He means where, North, South...you know?"

Manny curled his lips and Sara's heart dropped, she and James then knew exactly where they were going. A chill ran through them as Manny gave a small cackle and whispered poisonously. "The Center, duh." The words swirled in the air and pierced the children's hearts like daggers. As they started their numb run, James could not help but think to himself. _At least Lara won't be alone. _With the noises and drumming from that area, he figured his older sister would be anything but alone. Terror filled him as they exited the amphitheater and began their descent into the black tar of the concrete jungle.


	3. Chapter 3

"Fuck!" Lara cried out as she hit the sewer floor. _Going too fast, _she thought as she picked herself up, _You're not going to get to Spear's with a broken leg. _She had essentially ran the past few tunnel turns, jumping down ladder chutes, plunging herself into the darkness. The bats grew scarcer and scarcer the closer she came to the Center sector of True Gotham. She hurried herself so that her own fear would not have the chance to settle, her goal was to push through and reach the South end as quickly as possible. There was no telling what level of the sewer she was on anymore; she had lost track of the ladders she climbed. She only knew that she'd reached the bottom when her feet splashed into a shallow puddle. The roof of the sewer tunnel became invasive, she crouched as she began her walk into the dank center of the decadent sewer. _This smell, _she gagged, _no wonder no one lives here, you'd have to be a mutant in order to tolerate the smell. _The smell was a sweet odor, sickeningly it would infect the nostrils of those who traveled through, and its repugnant stench would cling to the survivors for days. _I wonder if I'm lost, I haven't come across a turn in a long time...then again, maybe that's a good sign. _She pointed her flashlight at the walls again, but there were no bats to guide her: She was in the right place.

She continued on straight, until the small tunnel emptied into a large pocket, where a rift in the ground carried the current. Lara stood up carefully, unsure as to the height of the pocket, and examined the structure. Everything was pitch black, aside from her own light. The walls and ceiling were covered with old mold and rust, _must be where the smells are coming from _she rationalized. Ahead, lay three sections, each leading off into a different direction.

Lara pulled out her compass from her pocket. It was an old item, an item from a distant past it seemed. She could barely remember who gave her the trinket. _Whoever it was, _she would tell her siblings around the campfire, _I owe them my life. _Looking down she sought out the arrow pointing South, looking ahead she saw it pointed directly to the left tunnel. She flipped the item onto its back, etched into the compass was a solitary bat. Ari had carved it into the surface.

_What are you doing!? _she remembered screaming, as her sister stooped over in a crouch carving away. _We're new here, _she remembered Ari stating solemnly, _And in case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of dangers. A lot of people and things will lead you in the false direction. When you're lost, you're afraid...so I'm making this for you...This is your true North, your anchor, Lara, whenever you're unsure or scared, flip this over and it'll help you. _She remember the alien feel of the compass when her sister handed it back to her, she remembered flipping it over to find a deep engraving of a bat. _It's just a fucking bat, _she spat at her sister. She remembered her laughing, _No Lara...it's a symbol. _

Lara had to be halfway through the center, she had been walking for about two hours now. The tunnel was completely silent, the absence of noise disturbed Lara, but she swallowed and reminded herself that it was always silent in the tunnels. She could hear the sloshing of her boots as she kicked up the water and the tiny clatters of little paws. She focused on remembering the owner of her compass, the story shifted every time she told it: It was her mother's, her father's...she could never get it right in her head. Maybe it had been Ariadne's, she shrugged to herself, _Maybe I'll ask her when I see her. _After a while she stopped to rest, sitting along the edge of the wall. She pulled from her pack a browning apple and chomped on it greedily. She didn't dare turn off her light like, unlike her sister, she was terrified of the total darkness that the lower levels contained. The thought of being in the dark sent chills up her spine, she curled herself tightly at the thought.

It was in the middle of her break that she started to notice the strange air that slowly filled the tunnel. Something that had been absent before; a vibrant and electrical energy: Life. She felt small ripples climb up her back, as she turned from the wall she sloshed the water and immediately stilled herself. Something rumbled on the other side of the wall. Lara leaned forward and placed her hand on the grimy wall.

"Movement?" she whispered in a terrified voice.

Suddenly, a sound erupted. A dark rumble that came from the far entrance of her tunnel, like nothing she had ever heard before, it was a deep voice that seemed to settle in the walls. Continuing on and on, Lara stood in petrified terror, not even allowing herself the privilege of trembling. _Not a voice, _she thought, _a sound...a drum of some kind. _The noise resonated for several minutes with muffled booms and groans.

_I can't stay here, _Lara thought to herself, _It's probably some gang _she thought to herself.

She began to slosh away while the noise carried on and on as she moved silently through the tunnel. She continued on in mute terror, the drums pounding and pounding in her head until she thought that she was mad with delirium. She almost stopped again, but then in a flash, the noise dissappeared and a profound silence overtook the tunnel. A pressure swirled around Lara, she felt nauseous and dizzy. Gripping the compass tightly in her pocket, she gritted her teeth so that she would not cry. _Just some gangs, that's all that was, just some gangs. _In that silence her self-lie was dissipated as a demon voice echoed throughout the walls. It crawled along the length of the tunnel until it found her foot, it raced its way up her leg, slithered up her back and swirled around until it reached her ear. The voice was like black tar; sloshing throughout her ear, she heard its toxic message. She felt its power and malice, making her tremble and chatter her teeth.

The message was brief and terrifying: "Rises." it stated. "Rises, Rises, Rises."

Lara felt the world slip away from her at that moment, she didn't even remember hitting the ground. She didn't remember her wide eyes close or her body go numb. The only thought she held onto was the clenched fist in her pocket, gripping the only thing in this world she trusted. _It's a symbol Lara, and a symbol is without fear_ Ariadne smiled at her, that cocky smile that made the freckles on her face crinkle. Lara always thought she was an idiot for saying that, how could a symbol not have fear? All symbols came from men, and if it was one thing that men had...it was fear.

Lara awoke with a gasp, twitched her body into movement and craned her head to see where she was. She was still alone in the tunnel, but the noise had dissappeared, it was silent once again. She picked herself up slowly, her body ached, how long had she been out? After she gathered her scattered belongings into her pack and set off once more to the South ends. In a matter of minutes she had reached the end of the tunnel; she only turned once, peering into the inky black tar of the tunnel. She made a decision there, that after Spear's she would go to Top Gotham and ride the trains back, she knew it would take longer, but she would rather risk being caught by the cops than hear that sound again. As she reached the ladder she thought she heard the rumbling again, taking a deep breath she began her climb upwards towards the south tunnels. Before long she found herself looking upon the familiar sight of white bats, but relief only came when saw several lamp lights at the end of the tunnel.

The tunnels emptied into a low, but wide terminal, Lara remembered what her teacher had said about the South sector, how it used to be the Old Gotham's Train Terminal. Looking up she could see that: Old molded bridges stretched across the air and emptied into easy exits that probably led up to some boarded up entrance to the surface. The lower ground was fossilized in the old train tracks, and the area was populated with rotting train cars; areas where the southern dwellers slept. Above an old clock hung, she craned her neck only to realize that the clock's face had been smashed and that moss had grown all around. _Great, just great, _she thought bitterly. As she entered the train cars she noticed the looks that came from the passengers. She must've been filthy, even by sewer standards.

"Child," one of the women asked, "what side'd you come from?"

"The North side, why?"

"Kid, do you know what time it is?" asked an old man.

"No." she answered curtly, _how the fuck would I know what time is, you old fart. _"I haven't had the chance to look at a watch yet."

"Well you should think about gettin' one." chuckled the woman.

"Like I haven't thought of that before." Lara sassed, "so why don't you tell me what time it is or point me to where Spears is at."

"He's over there," grumped the old man, "and you can ask him the time, you brat."

"Uh-huh." Lara replied.

She walked over to the exit door of the train to find Spears sitting along the wall next to a fire. As she approached she took notice of all the old parts of various tech surrounding him. Spears was a slender, wiry man; he had a scraggly stubble that led to his short fused brown hair. He wore broken glasses that stooped over his long nose. He was an intimidatingly smart man, he often took pleasure in tricking people with his rhetoric, enjoyed having them talk themselves into circles. Lara seemed to be the only person who could keep up with his games, the only person who seemed to enjoy his company.

"Heya Spears." she waved.

"I thought I told you, I don't appreciate being called Spears." he said as he meticulously prodded the wires sitting before him. "I can't believe your sister came up with that, what a fucking moron."

Lara chuckled. "Well I like it, it's tougher than your real name anyway."

"It's a shame, maybe I should call you Can or Oven, you know? Because Lara is such a silly name."

"It's better than Edward." she smirked.

"So what can I do for you, _Can?_" Spears sassed.

"I came here to pick up the transmitter for the heater, Ari should've put in the order a week ago."

"Yeah she came by, you have the money?" he asked looking up form his work for the first time.

"Yeah." Lara replied reaching into her left pocket. "Here."

Spears counted the money, he looked unsatisfied, letting out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his temple. "This...is not enough, this about half of what I asked for."

"It's all we can do Spears, it's fucking dead up top."

"Don't make excuses, it's you who's fucking dead, not them. You want money, go get fucking money."

"Just give me the part, here, I have some money of my own." she reached into her army jacket's pocket and pulled out a substantial roll of cash. "There, asshole." she spat as she handed Spears the roll.

Spears took the roll into hand and held it for a minute, slowly a cruel smile spread across his face. "You should learn to remember the price of things girl, people aren't as nice as me."

She merely rolled her eyes as she took back the cash, an amateur mistake to be sure. "I seriously doubt that, just give me the transmitter, dick."

"Well, riddle me that," Spears snarked as he picked up the part. "The sister of Ariadne, ungrateful, who would've guessed."

"Who would've thought." she mumbled as she took the part into her hands. She crouched down and began to stuff the item in her pack. "What's the time?" she asked curtly.

"What time do you want it to be?" he smirked, "I mean, what difference does it make in this pit? It could be night or day...Time in my oh, so humble opinion, is a construct. Especially down here."

"It makes sense if you put it like that, doesn't matter, I'm going up top anyway."

"Really?" smiled the riddler. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why?" Lara turned, curious she lifted her eyebrow. "I'd just as soon as send my brothers in there than go back."

"Well that's the kicker, I hear Manny's crew is running around down there."

"What does that have to do with my siblings? They're on the West sector." she snapped.

"You're a smart girl, you know how Manny just _loves _to have others around him. Especially, if your brother is as fast as Ariadne says he is," he gave a brief cough as if to emphasize the stupidity of Lara's questions. "No, I heard that they were all running around down there today, trying to find something. But you and I both know what they're really looking for, what they'll really find...so if I were you, and I'm not saying that I am, I would suck up whatever problems I had and go back down there."

"How the hell do I know they're even down there?" she asked.

"How do you know that they're not?" he replied rhetorically, he laughed as he returned to his work, he didn't even glance up as Lara briskly walked away. "Goodbye, Lara, hope you find what you're looking for."

_The only thing I'm looking for is a way out of this place, _she thought bitterly.

As she climbed down into the lower levels once again, she felt her terror growing;_If I find them down here, that crocodile will be the least of their problems._

It may have been true what Spears said and time may have been a construct, but she felt that it was night and she knew that if it was, then she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She climbed down slowly, _what difference would it make_, she asked herself. Going faster would only plunge her faster into the tar pit. She had reached the bottom before she even realized that she had been traveling without her flashlight. She turned it on briefly and approached the mouth of the tunnel, walking through it she took deep breaths and even began to hum a nameless tune to herself, she only stopped once she heard the hums echoing throughout the tunnel; she was even careful to walk on the edges of the tunnel sides since the water would make too much noise. When she reached the opening glanced quickly around, _No one _she thought, she walked forward, fighting back laughter. _It really must've been my imagination. _A sound disrupted her walk towards the far tunnel, it sounded heavy, like a step.

Curiously, she turned and shined the light towards the middle tunnel and then a flash: She saw it, there it stood, It was tall and bulky. She saw that it wore some kind of mask, but she couldn't tell, was it even human? Her eyes widened as she stared at the distant figure, but even from the distance she could tell that it had seen her, some great beast looking into her eyes. Instinct took over as she switched off the light, and all went black. She stood petrified, no movement, not a breath from her lips. Trodden steps were heard, they boomed and shook throughout the hall: It was coming. She trembled as she heard the footsteps approach her, silent tears ran down her face as she heard its alien rasp echo off her body. It must've been a hair's length away, the pressure was excruciating. She felt herself sinking into the ground; it felt as if an invisible hand was tracing the outline of her head and shoulders, her face and chest. If she had turned the light on, she was sure that the creature's face would be staring into hers. Staring into her should with its red eyes, its blood red eyes. It breathed like an animal, rasping like an inhuman beast. There was only one name that ran through her thoughts, an old legend that her mother whispered to her at night, something that dwelled deep within the maze. A creature of sin and death: _The Minotaur_.

She felt a dry sob come out of her throat, clasped her hand over her mouth, she was assured that death would follow. And then, several things happened at once:

A voice and light emerged from the black, "LARA!?" she heard a familiar voice scream. She saw the light out line the creature, and she saw its eyes, they board like drills into hers with an intensity that matched the sun. The contours of the face seemed displace and contorted, but it she had seen its mouth, she thought she would have seen its twisted grin, dribbling with ink and blood. This creature, monster, stared at her and only her. A scream arose from her lips, a call to wake the dead. And then suddenly, the light went out: The monster merged with the darkness and all went black.

Immediately, Lara turned and fled, ran as fast as she could, felt the beast closing in. She didn't dare stop, she ran like a wild animal being hunted. Her arms flailed and her legs struck out at odd and imperfect angles. She tripped herself with those legs, fell to the ground with a great crash. Something snapped in her shoulder and a great cry of pain rung out in the black. She curled up and waited as she sobbed. She could hear the steps approaching, she closed her eyes and awaited the fate of all those who traveled after dark. The last thing she would see is the terrifying monster that lay in the tunnel. _They were right, _she thought, _I was wrong, Ari...Ariadne was wrong. _

"LARA!" came a crying sob. She opened her eyes to see the light of her sister's flashlight, her face, as it came toward her. Her sister crashed down beside her, a hysterical sob poured from her mouth. "LARA, WHAT WAS THAT, IT WAS THERE-AND YOU WERE THERE-YOUR ARM!?"

"Sara, help me up," Lara commanded quietly through her coughs, "and keep your voice down."

As she sat up, pain shot through her. Sara hysterically cried out. "Lara! Lara, I think your arm is broken!" Lara could barely make anything out through the pounding in her ears and the terror that still pulsed through body. All she wanted was to pass out, _Don't you dare _she commanded herself, _don't you dare leave her alone here. _

"Sara, please, be quiet." Lara sobbed weakly, "It...it might come back."

"N-n-n-n-no..." Sara replied shaking her head weakly, "I think...I think...I think it's-g-g-gone."

"Sara, I think my arm's broken."

"Looks that way, oh Lara, what-what was that!?" cried Sara.

"I have no fucking clue." Lara paused, looked into the face of sister and saw that something was missing: James. Where was her brother?

"Where's James?" she breathed. "Where is he?"

"I-I-I DON'T KNOW!" sobbed Sara. "We got separated, down in the tunnels, I don't know where he is, or who he's with!" she hiccuped, Lara knew by her state that she had been in the black for hours. By herself, terrified and alone. "We...we were forced...they were gonna hurt Gale...and then, and then they left! I tried to find them...and then I tried to find a way back...but there were no bats...and then I heard drums, and voices...but they weren't any I recognized...I...I...ran as fast as I could away and then I found you! AND THAT MONSTER!" Sara completely broke then, sobbing weakly into her sister's chest. With her good arm, Lara held her close, they sat there for an unknown amount of time, until Sara's shakes had quelled. Never once did Lara tell her it was okay, she wouldn't lie to her sister like that. Not here, not here where false hopes could mean the end. She just held her and kissed her hair, it's all she could do.

The noises began again, soft booms from the black. Sara started to scream, Lara quickly covered the child's mouth.

"Come on, Sara" she whispered to her sister, never once did she take her eyes off the black contents of the tunnel. "We have to get out of here."

"What about...what about J-J-James?" she asked as the stood up.

"James? He's probably back home, probably already with Ari...come on, no more talking now."

As they climbed away, the noises faded into faint pings, faded until there was complete silence. Not once during the time did either of the children speak, not even to cry out in pain. But Lara did cry, silently, but not for her broken arm, but for the lie that she knew that she had told her sister. For her brother, for her lost brother. She had no wish to return to Ariadne, and tell her about her failings, she knew that her eldest would run blindly into the black after their brother. _Then there were three _she thought bitterly, _and then two, until finally, the black would consume them all. _


	4. Chapter 4

Ariadne returned home in disappointment, three of the oranges had been demolished in her escape, the juices still clung to her the inside of her jacket. _If only I had been faster_ she thought angrily, _if only I wasn't caught, if only that pig hadn't shown up. _She told herself to forget the pig, it was her fault and hers alone. She sat and wondered how all of them planned to eat tonight, Ariadne had managed to swipe two cans of green beans on her return to their Northern nest. She seemed disgusted with herself as she piled the food. She tried her best not to steal from her own people, it made her feel cheap; it was also dangerous. She had once lifted the wrong item from the wrong person, it was a lesson she would never forget. She shuddered at the memory and lightly touched her left arm. She looked on their small meal with sour disappointment, she knew that she could not keep them alive for much longer, feeding them was becoming an increasingly impossible task. The times had changed since they first came to the sewer, food for the poor became even scarcer and the shelters only took in someone so many times. Charity seemed to have a price these days too. She spat and she slowly started a fire, gathered what little kindle they had left and compacted the ingredients tightly. The tunnel's temperature seemed to drop with each passing minute. Ariadne shivered as light snow fell softly on her back. _Winds are picking up, _she thought as she looked over her shoulder and noticed the blackening sky. "Storms a coming." she whispered as she hurried the fire.

She boiled the beans in a small tin, she thought it would be great if the children returned to a cooked meal. She had even managed to save enough tea bags for her siblings drink. She smiled to herself as she prodded the fire, but her smile was a bitter one. A smile of realization: They could no longer live in True Gotham. She could no longer depend on Gale's floundering kindness, nor Spear's deceitful compassion. In order to survive in this world, Ariadne would have to permit the children to degrade themselves into someone they were not. To become cruel and conniving, something that Ariadne would rather die than see. Her family was different: They were noble, they were special, they were everything that their parents were not. But in that, she knew that they would not have the guts to do what was necessary. _No one has the guts but you, Ariadne_, she thought, _lose yourself in order to ensure their safety. _She often battled herself on this, the debate of letting go or giving in. _You know what you have to do Ari, give your siblings the life you never had. Let them go, stop being selfish and allow them security. _It would go on like this for days, back and forth, until Ariadne would physically scream from the trauma. What could someone do, allow the separation of their family in order to survive? Or to give in to the immorality of the sewer and gamble on their safety?

Ariadne shook her head, she would not think of this anymore. Night had come and she needed to focus on other tasks; protection and awareness. She began to fidget as the minutes crawled by, the three little ones should have returned home and Lara close behind. She walked over to an old radio that lined the wall, she patched herself over to the West Sector, her panic increased by the second.

"Hello, Gale? This is Ariadne, over." she spoke, waiting anxiously for a response of the static.

"Heya, Ari, what's happening, over." responded Gale.

She breathed, but the worry still clung to her chest. "Gale, are the little ones still with you, over?"

The response seemed to take forever, finally Gale answered "No one but Ethan, Manny took the other two, over."

_Damn _she thought angrily to herself. "Where did they go, over?"

An even longer pause. "Where do you think, over."

Ariadne dropped the mic from her lips, they had gone into the deepest part of Gotham. The very part where Ariadne had forbidden them to go. "Will you take Ethan for the night, over?"

"How about no, over?" snapped Gale. "How about you pay me my fucking money, over?"

She didn't have time for this, there wasn't a moment to lose. "How about you do what I say, or I'll come over there and break your legs, over?"

"Come again, over?"

"I have to find my brother and sister, if they're even still alive...I need a favor, over." She didn't even allow him the chance to respond. As Ariadne hung up, a pit lodged itself in her chest. Panic and despair welled inside of her. She would have to search that dark pit all night, the pit where bodies were strewed alongside the tunnel walls and where psychopaths lurched around every corner. For her siblings she would have to swallow her own fears and doubts in order to recover her two foolish kin. She packed her bag quickly, taking only the most necessary items. She had packed well: Bandages, a needle and thread, her flashlight, chalk and her bat. It was light in her hands, but always handy when it came to enforcing her authority. Her last item was a solitary piece of glass with a black piece of plastic that was molded to its surface. It was her most precious trinket, giving her hope, she quickly squeezed the item to her chest before placing it beneath her inner breast pocket. She stood and put out the fire, bathing herself in the darkness. She could see her breath forming as she took in the freezing night air. She stood there with her eyes shut, taking in the night for what she presumed to be her last time. _Be brave, _she told herself, _Be brave for your family...they're all alone down there, scared and alone. Rise. Find them, and bring them home._

She started briskly down the corridor, taking the first ladder down into the sewer. Her breath was even, but she could feel her heart beating almost so fast, it hurt. As she climbed down the ladder, she turned her flashlight to peer into the tunnel, she ran taking another left, right, down and down. She must've descended for what seemed like hours, she then reached an alien tunnel. It was strange, she had been this way so many times, but something felt different. Ariadne slowed her pace and walked steadily down the corridor. She turned her flashlight onto the wall and discovered that the wall was still covered in bats. _Maybe you're not as deep as you thought you were, it's still strange though. _A clanging rang out in the corridor then, a great rustle of noise. Terrified Ariadne prepared her bat, she crept towards the end to where the ladder lay. Peering into the darkness of the ladder pit, she heard the grunts and pants of two people.

"Who's there!?" she shouted. A long pause occured until Ariadne heard a small squeak of a voice.

"Ariadne...is that you?"

It was Sara. Ariadne quickly turned the flashlight onto a brighter setting, peering it down the vertical tunnel she saw her sister as she clung to the ladder.

"Oh Sara!" she cried. "Oh thank god, where is your brother? Is he with you? What happened? I-"

"Shhhhh!" cried another voice. "Sara, tell Ari to be quiet, NOW!" A puzzled look crossed Ariadne's face, was that...Lara? As Ari wait, the breathing of her sisters became more and more ragged. When Sara reached the top, she hysterically, immediately clung to her sister's waist. "Help...me...with...Lara." she gasped. As Ari rushed to the aid of Lara she noticed her arm; twisted and shriveled. It was broken, her eyes went wide with concern, fear, and rage.

"What happened!?" she whispered as she attempted to prop her sister against the wall.

"No." Lara protested, lifting herself up from the ground. "Not here, we're not safe."

"What are you talking about, Lara? What's going on? Where-" but she was interrupted by a single loud beat. It reverberated in the ladder pit, vibrating up the tube and into the corridor. Ari gaped at her sister's faces as they drained with color. "MOVE!" cried Sara.

Lara and Sara took their older sister by the arm and set off at a running pace down the corridor. Ariadne looked back at the vanished pit, she could still hear the curious booming that echoed in the tunnel. What was that, what did it mean, what had happened?

They did not stop until reaching their nest. Sara immediately set herself to reconnecting the the fuses of the heater. She had barely seemed to notice the wince of pain erupting from Lara as she ripped her pack from her shattered shoulder. "Turn on the lights." she hissed hysterically. Ariadne knew by the trembling fingers that fumbled over the switches that her sisters had witnessed something truely horrific. Lara stated nothing, she sat there catatonic, mute and unmoving. She silently gripped her shoulder and let out little white puffs of air from her shivering lips. Silent tears fell down her cheeks, a sinking guilt pounded in Ariadne's chest. She had sent her sister down into that deep black pit, put her through this, it was her fault.

"Ari!" snapped Sara, distracting Ariadne's thoughts. "The fire!"

Ariadne quickly built a fire, and as the room brightened, she sat her wounded sister against the wall. She felt Lara's forehead and felt the burning fever through her sweat. Sara knelt beside her and tugged at her coat. "What should I do?" she constantly asked.

"Get me some water." Ariadne breathed haughtily as she disrobed her jacket and gloves. "Some towels, and then just stand back." Ariadne gently took her sisters jacket from her shoulders. To cut the sleeve of her shirt she reached into her shoe and pulled out a small knife held by her sock. As she peeled back her sweater, Ariadne saw the extent of the break: Her shoulder was dislodged and it seemed that the bone was smashed where the socket of the arm met the ball. Lara gritted her teeth tightly in pain as Ariadne navigated around the shattered areas of her arm.

"It looks like you were mauled by a dog, Lara." she scoffed. "What the fuck happened?"

Lara stared silently at her, which annoyed Ari thoroughly, she then turned to Sara. "What the fuck happened?" she asked again roughly. "Tell me now, or I'll fix this arm myself."

"You wouldn't' understand." hissed Lara, Ari cut her head back towards her wounded sister. Even through her shivers, Ariadne knew that Lara was serious. "It was...a monster, I saw a monster...something's down there Ari, something in that pit...its...so...dark." Suddenly, Lara passed out, her body slumped against the sewer wall. Ari caught her as she fell. A few moments of silence passed before she turned her dark glare towards Sara.

"Where is James?" she asked fiercely. "Where is your brother?"

"I...I don't know, Ari." replied her sister after some time, she hung her head despairingly. "We were separated...I was lost for hours, I found Lara...with that..._beast._" She started to weep silently then, and Ariadne's fury bubbled. Who did this to her family? Who stirred this fear in their home? Who would dare bring this pain to their miserable lives? With questions still rising, Ariadne picked herself up from the ground.

"Help me with Lara." she ordered quietly. Sara immediately rushed to Lara's side, not daring to show even a hint of disobedience.

"Where are we going, Ari?" Sara grunted as both she and Ariadne lifted their unconscious sister. "Are we going to Gale's?"

"Fuck no." spat her sister. "We're never going to him again."

"Then wher-"

"Gotham General." sighed her sister, as they headed towards the ladder. "We're taking a cab to Gotham General,"

"But if we do then-"

"Don't argue, Sara." Ariadne interuppted. "This is the best option, Lara's arm is smashed, I can't fix and I need to know that you and your sister are safe up top."

"What about James? and Ethan?"

"Gonna get Ethan too...and then I'm going to find James." Ariadne breathed.

"Are you going to go...down there?" shivered Sara as she handed Lara to her sister and began to climb.

"Yeah," stated Ariadne. "I'm going down there again."

As they both ascended Ariadne fought with her rage and impulse to abandon her sisters and seek out her brother. _No, James will just have to fight alone right now, _she reasoned with herself, _He's a strong boy and you have the others to take care of. Save your strength Ariadne, you'll need it. _

"Honey, I told you before, you gotta fill out the form...where are your parents? Can they sign?" asked the old nurse of Gotham General. Her white hair perfectly matched her rhinestone glasses and uniform. Ariadne, filthy and black, stared at the woman. Everything about her screamed orphan, her filth stuck out against the smooth white floors and walls of the hospital waiting room. The nurse stared fiercely into Ariadne's flaming blue eyes.

"I told you," spat Ariadne impatiently, "My parents are out of town, my sisters and I were playing outside...and she broke her arm. She's hurt...get us...a doctor." She flung the clipboard at the woman and turned to sit with her sister. The waiting room was completely empty as Ariadne glanced around noticing her shivering sister Lara and her other Sara. Sara sat there shaking, terrified and nervous. The last time Ariadne tried the hospital, she wasn't seen for three days. The cops had tried to send her to a runaway home, she had barely managed to escape and when Ari found her family, they were half starved and petrified beyond belief. Ariadne placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's going to be fine." she whispered, she glared at the front desk where the old nurse was whispering to the doctor. She gave Ariadne an acidic glance as the doctor walked over to her. Ariadne merely pursed her lips and squished her nose.

"What seems to be the problem?" the doctor asked directly, he began to inspect Lara's feverish and twitching body.

"She's...she's smashed her arm up good, sir." replied Ariadne, her gaze never faltering from Lara. "It's all twisted and mangled...like something was tearing after it."

"Get the gurney, please." called the doctor to the nurse. "When did you find her?"

"My younger sister found her immediately." replied Ariadne, her heart raced with anxiety. "I found them a few minutes later."

"What were you doing?" he asked as he prodded Lara with a stethoscope. "Why did it take you longer?"

"I was..." as Ariadne glanced nervously at Sara who stared wide-eyed back. "I was getting back from picking up dinner."

The doctor turned and stared into Ariadne's eyes. She knew she wasn't fooling this man, he stared into her face with his steely green gaze. She felt like she was drowning in his judgement, felt like she was nothing but trash in the ocean. She could feel her filth, her unkemptness, her poverty. As the doctor stood, he scooped her sister up in his arms and carried her to the arriving gurney. "I'll need your younger sister, for more detailed descriptions." he stated coldly, as he filled out a medical chart. He handed it back to the gurney operator, who pushed Lara through two white doors that were beside the reception desk. The doctor held out his hand for Sara, who turned to Ariadne. Sara instinctively clung to her protector, sniffed and cried into her shoulder.

"It's going to be alright." Ariadne whispered. "Go with the doctor."

The doctor took Sara in handed and gave a curt nod. At first Ariadne thought it was to her, a reassurance of some kind. But as she saw her sister's face drain, she knew. Sara started to run back to her sister as an iron hand rested itself on Ariadne's shoulder.

"NO! ARI, NO!" screamed Sara, the doctor's arm banded around her waist and pulled with force. Ariadne turned her head and peered up to the origin of the hand: it was man from this morning. He stared at her with his almond eyes, and Ariadne's arms went numb, her eyes widened in horror. Where did he come from? How did he know? A signal, something missed, something happened between the doctor and that nurse. How could she not have seen it? She quickly turned to see her struggling sister who cried out her name and adamantly shrieked no as she fought her captor. Ari started to rise, to join her sister in the struggle, but the hand pressed her to her seat.

"I wouldn't if I were you." his voice rumbled. "You'll make it harder for her."

"Fuck you." spat Ariadne as she again tried to thrust herself from the chair. This time two hands coiled around her upper arms and pulled her down to the seat. Ari struggled but in vain. She remembered calling out Sara's name, but Sara had disappeared through the twin doors. Silent sobs of despair and anger came from her, and hot tears rolled down her face. The pig cop easily handcuffed her right arm to the chair, he then brought another around to sit directly across from her.

"Easy, now." he said angrily as he caught her kicking leg. "She's gone, it's out of your control...just...calm down."

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuc-" she started to repeat. A sharp smack rang across her face, stunned she turned back to him wide eyed with rage.

"Now, I'm just going to assume you're older." he muttered rubbing his hand. "A lady doesn't talk like that."

_I ain't no fucking lady, pig _she thought to herself.

"So...I ran into you this morning, fruit stand girl, right? Remember me?"

Ariadne looked at him, surely he could have seen the fury in her eyes.

"Gonna take that as a yes...well, my name's Jo-" he began.

"I don't give a shit what your name is." Ariadne spat. "Let me go."

He looked up at her, his own brand of anger seeped to his eyes. Something about that looked threw Ariadne, she didn't fear him, but there was something there, something dangerous.

"If you talk to me like a bitch, I will slap you like one." he said in a dark tone. "You don't want to do names, that's fine, you can call me Officer."

"I'll call you whatever I feel like," retorted Ariadne, craning her head to the side, angled it so that she stared directly at the gaping old nurse. She gave her the most deadly look she could give before turning back to Officer. Officer gave her another glare and another smack lashed out instantly. Tears formed in Ariadne's eyes, her cheek flamed from the sting of the smack.

"Don't look at her, she can't help you." he stated dangerously. "You're completely alone here, Tank Girl."

A twinge erupted in Ariadne, she turned horrified back to Officer, and realized the gravity of the situation. The delicate balance of understanding that seemed smothered in the hint of violence.

"So what do I call you?" he asked. He never took his eyes off of hers, watched her like a predator watched its prey.

"Call me...whatever you'd like." she muttered. Officer's eyes darted to her coat, to her breast pocket where a single patch rested. It was of a flaming skeleton riding a horse, it was one that her father had given her; an old military patch from forgotten days. It rode the horse like a pilot rode a helicopter. The name below read Azrael, the name of her father's helicopter. The chopper of death she would remember him saying. She knew the name Officer had chosen before he even said it.

"Azrael," he coughed. " A deadly name for a deadly girl."

She simply glared back at him. Hate radiating from her eyes like a fresh atom bomb.

"So what were you doing down in the sewers, Azrael?"

"Give me my sisters and I'll answer that."

"You listen to me now." answered Officer. "Consider your sisters gone, they're safe, going to go to a better place. They are out of your hands now and off the table...You however, you have to make a decision right now: Take the hard road or the harder road." he stated as he held up his hand. Ariadne flinched, he was an honest man, his face was lined with honesty and integrity; she knew that he would strike her again. I_ndignation will only take you so far_, she told herself.

"I was setting fires, and preparing the way for the end." she replied sarcastically, looking everywhere but at him.

"You were living down there?" he pressed.

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Long enough to know not to talk to cops." she replied. "Long enough to know that favors and kindness can get you killed, long enough to know that food is precious and time is short."

"So about...five months?" squinted Officer, his mouth twitching upwards into a snarky expression.

"Whatever."

"You have your sisters in there, anyone I should know about?"

"My brothers." she spat coldly, she crossed her legs and sized up Officer. He has built well: tall, but lanky. She could tell that as a kid he was bullied. The anger and frustration rippled throughout his arms and chest. He seemed like a coil, wound tight and ready to strike. He looked fast, Ariadne gripped her cuffed hand around the arm rest. She would need to be faster, patient, and ready to take her moment.

"Azrael, you have your sisters and brothers starving in that pit?" he asked. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that we needed to stay together no matter what." she hissed at him poisonously, she could feel his judgement wafting around her like a stench. "Let's get something straight, you don't know a fucking thing about me."

"That's where you're wrong." he replied. "I can read your entire life just by looking at you. You think you're so special? Like you're the only one the world screwed over? Think again, lemme guess...you've been abandoned? You don't trust authority because authority left you on your ass? Did I hit that nail on the head? I know who you are, you're every selfish and foolish child whose ever been hurt. Subjecting your siblings to a life of poverty simply because you're afraid of being out of control-"

"What would you know of my life?" she argued, spat as she retaliated, looking at him for the first. "You with your gun, hitting children and running down low lives in order to satisfy your own anger issues. Save your psych bullshit for your night classes, you fucking idiot. You have no idea what I try to protect my siblings from. You have no idea how horrible your "civilized world" can be. You think Top Gotham is so great? I'm so heathen for living underground? In a pit? It's your world that's the pit, it's your life that needs reconstructing!"

She sat there, breathing heavy, she held back tears with gritted teeth. Years of relentless memories poured into her as she sat in this waiting room. _Come on you dumb pig, _she shouted to herself. He stared at her, his long face was etched with a look of pity, she recognized this as a look of remembrance. His eyes scanned over her face until they met hers. Silence stretched for what seemed like hours, he examined her with dedicated concentration, as if he wanted to engrain her existence into his. She saw his lips curl into a smirk.

"You're afraid." he observed. _Whack_.

With her grip tight around the arm of the chair, she quickly bounced onto her feet and swung the chair around until it made contact with Officer's head. He hit the floor like a dead weight, and a little blood trickled from his head. She fumbled over his belt to get the keys, the nurse screamed and ran through the double doors. Panic stricken, Ariadne struggled to get the keys into her cuff. After some attempts she heard the lock click and the cuff fall off. She turned to sprint when she felt a tug at her arm. Officer glared at her, his eyes were on fire with a look of betrayal and rage. "OH NO YOU DON'T...AZRAEL!" he yelled.

Ariadne twisted out of her coat, freed herself from his grip, and kicked out. She saw him double over in pain. "I'm sorry..." she panted. "...but you don't understand, anything!"

She turned and fled, running blindly through the doors until she bursted from the exit into the cold night air. She took off down the street, she could feel Officer behind her, his anger radiated throughout Top Gotham. Ariadne only stopped when she entered the alleyway's sewer top. She didn't stop until she was at least three turns into the corridor. When she stopped at another exit, she leaned against the wall. She patted herself, realizing her stolen coat contained her badge of courage. Cold and alone, she curled into a ball and wept: she had lost her brother and now her sisters, she never felt such uselessness, such redundancy. _What do I do? _she asked her self. _I'm so lost. _She stuck her numb hands into her pockets and felt a foreign object rub against her fingertips. Pulling it out she realized it was Lara's compass, the compass was given to her so long ago. She cried bitterly, rubbed the compass with her thumb, surprised she felt the indents of the object. Remembering, she flipped the item over and held it to the moonlight. Snow fell softly as she gazed at the edged bat: Her symbol, her true north. She inhaled the night air, and though unsure about the direction, headed into the deep pit of the tunnel.

Officer stood there in the snow as he watched the girl run from the scene. He saw no point in chasing her, she would be back for her sisters. It seemed ominous that they met two times in the same day, almost fatalistic. He still held her jacket, he fought the urge to tear it up. Looking down at the patch he ran his fingers over the flaming skeleton: _Death _he thought. He noticed the tag on the inside, bringing it into the light he found himself laughing. In the child's breast pocket was an object, as he pulled it from the pocket he recognized it: A piece of the old Bat Signal. _A true idealist _he thought sadly. The child had a moral compass, this is a vital clue to her character. She was, or thought of herself as moral and noble. He squeezed the item in his hand and looked away from the street she darted down. _Azrael _he thought _she'll set fire to the city before she gives it up. _As he turned to head back inside he looked at his reflection in the glass doors. He saw no difference between himself and the child. He could see his own anger as he saw hers, his years of training and school had no effect. No amount of practice could ever really hide his bitterness, his untrusting nature, and his insurmountable hatred of the cruelty of life. He looked at this reflection until the doors slid open; he inhaled the stale heat of the hospital, and though unsure of his direction or purpose, headed into the blinding light of the building.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara stood at the window and watched as the doctor reset the bone. Two orderlies stood on either side of her, she stood silently with a face that seemed drained of all energy. She didn't tremble, enough had been done in that pit, that hollow bottomless pit. She remembered everything with such vivid detail it frightened her.

_Her hear raced as she plummeted deeper into the heart of Gotham. She could barely keep up with the boys as the sprinted and flew through the air. She didn't care for the girls of the group either, Sara never really cared for anyone, she figured that in the end they all left. Her feet would hit the ground hard and she would feel it in her shins, up in hips and rattled throughout her knees. She couldn't really get the hang of the jumping and the climbing, she could feel her energy drain with each decent, and she thanked her own will when they reached the bottom. Sara looked to James, he seemed nervous, just as well, Manny was something short of a sociopath. A greedy being with no regard for any life around him, he only kept what he could use. He could use James, use his speed and take advantage of his big heart. No such purpose came from Sara, she was too uncoordinated to be of any physical value and she was too untrusting, too cruel to be taken advantage of, so why bring her down here?_

_"Everyone stop!" shouted Manny, he held up his hand as the children stood at the mouth of Central. The water's current could be heard, its thundering boom consoled Sara like a lullaby. Whatever he's planning she read on James's face, just hope he does it fast. _

_"We hear there's something down there," Manny went on, "Something growing in the middle, we've been hearing things."_

_"We have too," interjected Sara, "That don't mean we need to go down there, some things are better left alone."_

_"I don't remember saying anything to you," Manny turned his cold lizard gaze to her, "In fact I don't remember even stating that this was open for discussion." He walked towards her, frightened, Sara did her best to stand her ground. All of a sudden James, her younger brother, stood in front of her._

_"Aw, leave her alone, Manny" he tried to say casually, "She didn't mean anything, people just hear stories, that's all." Sara could see the venom in Manny's eyes, the unrestrained violence that teemed in his face. It didn't matter, she would rather suffer the beatings that Manny dealt out with pleasure rather than go into that pit. _

_"You keep your slut of a sister under control James." spat Manny as he turned back, he gave her a deathly glare and spat at the sewer tunnel. _

_"Don't call her that, Manny." breathed James. Manny turned and his glare became red hot. _

_"What the fuck did you say?" he asked. It was so quiet that a pin drop could have been heard. "What the fuck did you say For-"_

_"You heard what I said, Manny." said James as he took his gaze from the ground to Manny's eyes. "You may have us dragged down here with you, but you're gonna give her some respect, otherwise, I'm outta here."_

_Manny merely turned, it was acceptance enough, Sara thought. There was no way that Manny would sacrifice James's skills for his insults on her. Sara wasn't worth even that to Manny. A cruel smile did play over his face, he turned back into the group._

_"We can't all go at once." he grinned sadistically, he looked straight at Sara. His snake eyes danced dangerously. "It'll make too much noise...we gotta send a scout." Manny walked at a great speed, got to Sara before James knew what was happening. Sara struggled against Manny's tight grip around her forearm. With the help of the others now, he dragged her over to where the tunnel dropped off, to the edge of True Gotham. Terrified, petrified, Sara looked into the pitch black December night of the pit. She could see nothing, hear nothing, she didn't and couldn't see the bottom. She could hear her brother yelling. "Pull her back Manny! Be reasonable, Manny!"_

_"How big of a splat do you think you'll make, Sara?" _

_"Not as big of a one as you'll make when Ariadne finds out what you did." she rebuked. Manny flipped her around and she felt his fist briefly against her mouth. James could be heard, she saw him blurry and furious. She wanted to tell him it was alright, that she was fine and unhurt, but she knew if she opened her mouth that blood would spill out and frighten her brother. She merely shook her head, her brother seemed to glare at Manny with such disdain and disgust it would've evaporated the most despicable person. But Manny stood there, and the drums started. The children's eyes went wide in fear and wonder. Manny leapt over to the mouth of the drop and peered around. _

_"What is that!?" he hissed excitedly. _

_"A warning," spat Sara, "A sign that we shouldn't be here, Manny get these people outta here before-" but she was cut off by the heel of Manny's shoe. _

_"Shut the fuck up, I'm tired of your uselessness." he slithered. "Let's see if we can fix that." He grabbed Sara by the hair, and she cried out, the others had begun to laugh and chant like wild things. It reminded her of that book she had read in school, where they slaughtered the innocent one. Only, this wasn't a book and she was far from innocent. She heard the pleas of her brother, the distant booming of the jungle drums. Craning her head backwards she could she the dark, blood flowed freely from her nose and across her cheek, dripping off of her face and into that dark sea. _

_"Why don't you tell us if the coast is clear." she heard Manny say, his spit planted itself on her face. She only glanced at him once, only her brother once before she felt the sensation of free fall, she didn't see anything after that, but she heard a swirl of voices, yelling, beating, drums in the deep. She felt her body smack against the shallow water, felt herself black out and wake back up. She moved her hands and feet slowly unsure if there was any serious damage. Her back was on fire, she sat up slowly and called up to the top._

_"JAMES!?" she shouted. "MANNY!?" Complete silence was her answer. _

_She then tried to stand up, and that's when the pain hit, it swirled around her and blurred her vision, she heard a ringing in her ears and bile crawled up her throat, she swayed trying find support along the wall. All the while she screamed for her brother, she felt the nausea over take her, her body flop on the ground and she felt herself slip from the conscious world. _

"Uh, little girl?" asked a voice, interrupting Sara from her memories. She turned swiftly to find the officer who had been with Ariadne standing behind her, her jacket in his hand. She looked at him with a look of panic and fear. He stood there like an apparition, a ghost, a tell-tale sign. He looked tall and strong, he also looked fast, his hands seemed rough and swollen, had he been fighting? As he approached her, she backed away.

"It's okay." he said softly, putting his hand out as if he were approaching a hurt animal. "I'm trying to help."

"Where's my sister!?" she asked not even bothering to hide the fear in her voice.

"Your sister's gone." Officer answered, "She left...got away."

Relief washed over Sara, Ari had escaped to find her brothers and then she would be back for her. "Why do you have her jacket?"

"Because we're best friends forever." the cop answered gruffly. Officer saw her face, puffy and bruised. The cuts looked fresh, something must've happened, something recent. "What happened to your face?" he asked quietly, pointing to her split lip and cheek.

She didn't respond, merely darting her eyes to avoid his gaze.

"Here," he said pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he put her sister's coat around her shoulders and lightly lifted his hand to touch her face. She flinched away from the contact. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"What do you want?" Sara asked harshly, wincing from the dabs of the cop's piece of cloth.

The officer looked at her eyes, they were stormy like a churning sea, full of boiled anger and fear. He pitied the girl standing there before him, he pitied her sister who fled to the darkness, and he pitied the life that led them to this way of distrust and contempt. "I just want to help, I'm new and I want to help."

"How can you help something you don't understand?" Sara barked, "How can you care about something you don't know anything about? You wanna help? Get away from us, my sister knows what she's doing."

"I don't think she does." Officer breathed quietly, he gripped Sara's arms comfortingly, reassuringly. Sara looked the man's face and saw an understanding in his eyes. She didn't know why, but it made her even angrier, even more afraid. "I think she's scared...I think she's lost, I think-"

"You don't know my sister." she interrupted jerking away from his arms, he simply let them fall away from her. "And you don't know me, we've been just fine before without outsiders, where was your comfort and help when Pop left, huh?" She spat at the hospital ground and watched as the officer's face drifted to the floor and back to her face. He had this look about him, an anger, something deeper than Sara's, maybe even Lara's or Ariadne's. It was like an ancient seed that was planted at birth, and the vines grew over time until it became a thorny forest of hate and malice. Sara turned from him and walked away, leaving the officer standing by the glass windows where her sister lay on the other side.

_She awoke to a silent world. Her ears rang from the silence, coughing as she picked herself up, she looked around. Total dark surrounded her, as she stumbled towards the sewer wall she gripped her side to ease the throbbing pain. My ribs are probably broken she thought, she didn't care at least she was walking. She slowly made her way down the corridor, she could feel her feet slosh through the sewage water and the distant booming of the water's edge became louder and louder. She reached the tunnel's end and saw where the small creek met with the sewer river, lights were illuminated and Sara thought it strange; this was the first that she had ever seen of these lights in all her time down in the tunnels. She coughed and limped to the right, she feared that at any minute blood might emerge from her mouth, it was already pouring from her nose and her swollen cheek. She was desperate to return to the Western Sector of True Gotham, to Gale and Ethan. She must've followed that main line for hours unsure if she was heading deeper or farther away from the core of Gotham. The smell was atrocious even through the blood, she could taste it through the iron in her mouth. Something dead was here, something that seeped through the walls, like a crypt. She shuddered at the thought. This place reminded her of the tales of Theseus and King Minos; the maze and the Minotaur. She thought of this great beast lurking behind her every step, a great shadow that hovered over her in the dark. She clenched her fists, Remember she thought, remember what Ari said: Don't be afraid when you're in the dark...you're not alone, he's there, watching, protecting. Ariadne seemed to be the only one who still believed in that Dark Guardian, that winged watcher. No one had the heart to tell her that the shadows were merely shadows and that her symbol was gone. No, the only ones that watched in the dark were predators, no protectors, only monsters, beasts with animalistic mindsets. _

_ She felt the ground tremble and vibrate, she heard great clanging to the North, she stopped in her tracks: The smell became stronger, she could hear something, a boom, a chant? It was the same noise, that same ominous noise from before. Scared to her core, she limped towards the nearest turn when in that wide hall she saw someone step out from the shadows: A man._

_"Help!" she heard her lips scream before reason could stop them. The man turned to reveal his body armor, his scarred face...his gun. She knew she had made the mistake, she looked at him in wide eyed fear as he raised his weapon when suddenly, miraculously, just as she closed her eyes, the lights went out. She seized her chance and ran down the tunnel, she could hear the foreign voice behind her, screaming for assistance, jungle drums rang out as the call for arms cried throughout the tunnels. Sara ran as fast as she could, for what seemed like hours, not stopping until she could no longer hear the chants. She fumbled around in her pocket and grasped her small flashlight. She clicked it, looking in vain for a white bat, finding none, it was silent all around her and the smell of death still penetrated the air. Moving further still, she found herself at an intersection in the tunnels, she stayed her course straight, she hoped that it would lead her to a ladder. She felt encased in a catacomb, she didn't dare speak or breathe too loudly. She crept silently up the tunnel, pressing herself against the wall as the tunnel became smaller. It emptied out at the end, that she could see, she also saw a distant figure. "James?" she whispered, she ran towards the figure, splashing the water as she galloped. "James?" she called out quietly, "Lara!?" she called louder still. She stopped dead when she realized that figure was neither her brother nor her sister, it wasn't even the gun man in the tunnel: It was a monster._

_ Hulking, bent; it's powerful arm seemed to be touching something. The smaller figure let out a sob and Sara recognized it instantly: Lara. "LARA!" she screamed, as she turned out the light. She ran forward in that black, sprinting after her sister. She felt herself hit something, it knocked her to the ground. She let out a cry of pain as something coiled its hand around her hair, she thrashed and kicked as she felt herself being lifted from the ground. She flashed her hands out, desperate to grab anything, tear at anything. She felt her fingers brush across something metallic, she pulled down with all her might and heard a hissing erupt. The figure let out a demonic growl and she felt herself drop to the sewer ground. Kicking out, she felt the end of her boot as it met the bone of a shin, she then picked herself up and ran away from the hissing and the calls of the beast. She crawled in the water, following it until she was sure she had left the creature far behind. She could hear the clamoring of its hoofs against the concrete; but they sounded distant. Sara turned on her light and sprinted once more into the dark of the tunnel. She didn't stop until it hit the lump of cloth and flesh that lay on the floor: She didn't stop until she saw Lara._

They had moved Lara into a room now, Sara sat beside her sister in complete silence, no uttering one sound even as the doctor ran the needle through her cheek and bandaged her wounds.

"You're a very brave girl." he whispered to her. She looked at his coat, staring at his name: Elliot. "I wouldn't even worry about your pretty face, I'm the best reconstructive doctor in Gotham." He smiled.

"Is my sister going to be alright?" Sara muttered.

"Your sister just has a broken arm." he smiled, "She's going to be just fine. Trust me."

"Fat chance." Sara muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nice pants" she shrugged.

"There just scrubs, if you want I can get you some, change you out of those...clothes."

"Sure." responded Sara coldly, the doctor Elliot made a gentle grab for the jacket, she pulled it instinctively, closer to her body. "The jacket stays."

"Of course." replied Elliot. "I'll be back with the scrubs, and something to eat."

As he left the room, Sara stared out the window at the falling snow. She could she the flakes flutter down towards the ground where she spotted the officer. He was pacing back and forth, he seemed to be talking on a phone. He looked lonely, he stood there alone in the street and Sara couldn't help but squint her eyes and purse her lips at his loneliness. _He's like you, _she thought, _He has the same eyes as you, the same as Ari's. _Sara thought of going to him, telling him about her family...maybe he could help.

"Sara?." Lara rasped, "that...you?"

"LARA!" Sara leapt from the chair and onto her drugged sister. "You're awake."

"Yeah...for...now." she answered slowly, "Where's...Ari...adne?"

"She escaped, there were police and they caught her, but she's gone now."

"Hm." Lara muttered, closing her already faltering eyelids. "Good...that's...good." She drifted off to slumber then, once more leaving Sara alone in the ward. Sara turned back to the window and saw the the cop was gone. Sara stood there, in her mind she had come to a crossroads: A choice. She could help Ariadne, or sit here and wait. She could warn the man of the imminent danger or leave him to the maze.

_The choice was made. _

Panic hummed in her, she quickly set off out the door, looked back and forth, up and down the hallway and then ran from the room. She had to find that cop, she had to at least tell him about the noises in the tunnels, she had to warn him of the danger.

_The climb was a long one, harder still with Lara leaning on her tired body. As they ascended up the ladder, Sara saw a light, a brief flicker. It was blinding and she squinted at it, unaccustomed to its glow. She thought it strange that such a light in this pit, she was already so used to the dark that it seemed foreign and alien to her. She heard her sister's voice call out to her, she felt herself call back. It was a long climb, and her body shook with exhaustion, Rise she repeated to herself instinctively, don't give in. She thought of her sisters' strength and made it her own. Her guardians' and protectors' had given her, provided her with life. Now, it was her turn. Two more became one more, and one more became none. She finished the climb and pulled herself and Lara from the chute. She lay on the ground, turning her head to see the wall lined with bats, her string, she thought. Her symbol. _

As she ran through the maze of the hospital she thought to herself as to why she was so bent on helping this man. Then she realized he reminded her of Theseus, the man in the maze, without help from Ariadne, daughter of the King, he would be lost forever. _Her help,_ she concluded as she raced to the elevator, she was about to press the button when the doors opened and revealed the man standing in them.

"Theseus" she breathed. "We have work to do."


	6. Chapter 6

James writhed awake, he felt himself choke on his blood. Something felt terrible, a horrible burning ached throughout his body, his head throbbed. As he sat up, he fumbled around for his light, his clothes were soaked and he could hardly breathe past the smell. As he fumbled around for the button he heard voices, he automatically pressed his body alongside the wall, trying to slink in to the darkness.

"Where the fuck is that kid?" he heard a man ask, he could feel his own heartbeat accelerate.

"Who knows...these fucking people are everywhere down here."

"You know what we're supposed to do when we find him." stated the first voice as they walked closer and closer to where James was pressed. He could hear their boots and the rattling of their guns as they walked. He felt their heat as they stood directly in front of him, inches away from his own shoes. He thanked whatever mercy he could that the two did not bear flashlights.

"A fire can't rise without kindle." he heard the man scoff, "That's gotta be one of the stupidest things I've hea-"

"Shut up man, don't even talk like that...you saw the last guy."

"_Everyone _saw the last guy." replied the first voice. "That...wasn't human...yer right thou, I'll shut up."

As they walked James was careful not to move an inch, not to breathe a single breath. Silent as the grave. But he felt the man's shoe touch his, he gaped in horror as he felt the sensation of the man's weight shift.

"What the hell!?" he called out. "A rock!?" The second then turned on his light, turning it onto James, revealing his white shocked petrified face.

"IT'S ONE OF THOSE KIDS!" the man shouted. James took turn and darted down the passage.

"GRAB HIM!" shouted the first as he picked himself from the ground. Both the came, sprinting after him, James could feel his speed decreasing, he felt himself limp and the pain, the pain that radiated up and down his back and into shin. For a moment though, he allowed himself the hope of escaping, he had gotten this far, what was a few more meters? It was that hope that crushed him when he felt the hands on the back of his neck, as he tore through the air he saw stars and felt his neck jerk, they both shined their lights in his face, blinding him with the light.

"Well aren't you a slippery son of a bitch." the one spat. "You got pretty far kid, even with that leg." James looked to the trail of light that the man pointed at, he then saw that his leg had been destroyed, something stuck out of it, it seeped with blood clotting and oozing around him. It was then that James remembered, it hadn't been the water that soaked his clothes: It was his own blood. James went limp at the sight of that, he gave into his captor's arms, boneless and defeated in their arms he lay. He could barely make out what they were whispering to each other as clouded thoughts and darkness consumed him. He saw their lips smile and move, but he couldn't hear what they were saying, their lights grew dimmer and dimmer, soon James could not see at all: He was all theirs.

_The rage seethed from him when Sara disappeared from his view. His vision went red as soon as Manny released her. "YOOOOOU!" he screamed, pushing aside his assailants with a strength he did not know he possessed. He tackled Manny to the ground and began striking him. "YOU BRING HER BACK! YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU MONSTER! DEMON!" Manny took the defense and caught his right cross, he wiggled his legs from underneath James and kicked him in the gut. James flew off of him, hitting the ground on his back._

_"Now James," said Manny, he grinned as he wiped the blood from his lips. "Don't be gettin' stupid now. You forget, there's five of me and one of you." James glanced at the numbers through his squinted eyes, there they all stood, poised and ready to beat him to death. "If you touch me again, I'll drag your cunt of a sister up here...I will beat her to death in front of you...and I'll leave you to live, now get up. We got work to do." _

_James felt like sobbing at his own weakness, his inadequacies as a boy. He even took Manny's hand and stood up. _

_"Come on." he smiled venomously. James followed the crowd as they led further and further away from his fallen sister._

_"I thought we were going to Central?" he asked absently, "Isn't that why you pushed her down there?" he didn't dare say her name, he didn't have the right anymore. _

_"Nah...I honestly don't know where I pushed her, there are no bats down that way."_

_James quivered with rage has he followed the crew down the ladder, he thought of kicking Manny down the ladder, watching him plummet hundred of feet to his death. He was so close to, but then he remembered his sister, Lara: "Killing is killing, you take a life and you can't give it back...and no matter what you do, you'll never repay that debt." Silently, then, James climbed down the ladder and into the Heart of Gotham._

_The ladder led out into a wide space, where four huge waterfalls of sewage churned together in raw power at the bottom. In the middle of the space was a giant four way bridge, each leading to the different sectors of True Gotham. Stepping off the ladder, James looked around the forbidden cavern of twisted beauty that was Center. Mouth agape he stood there, never once taking his eyes off the dirty falls that crashed and melted together. _

_"You guys see that?" pointed Manny. James glanced at the area to where he was pointing at: A video camera was perched against the cable. It whirred as its lens zoomed in on the children. They packed together as a reaction, danger all of a sudden swirled about them, the open tunnel channels seemed lethal to James. _

_"What is this place?" asked a girl. "Manny what is this place?"_

_"I don't really know, they just told me to bring you right here to this spot." he smiled. _

_"Who's...who's they, Manny?" asked James. "What are you talking about?"_

_"He's talking about us, kid." answered a foreign voice. It boomed throughout the circular pit of the hall. James turned to see a man standing in the wide tunnel entrance to the North. He was wearing a red scarf and held in his hand a weapon, he was surrounded by four others behind him. James thrashed his head in all directions, noticing that more men stood at each of the entrances, trapping the children in the pit. James turned his head to Manny._

_"Who are these people?" he whispered._

_"You'll find out soon enough," he muttered, he seemed almost afraid. "I had no choice, it was either you guys or me."_

_"Why did you leave Sara then?" James pleaded desperately. _

_Manny looked at him straight in the eyes. His cold psychopathic eyes, they were as black as the darkest of winter nights. Without any compassion and without any remorse._

_"I have no idea who you're talking about." he stated. And then he smiled, a cruel harsh smile. James was so confused with its meaning and complexities that he hardly noticed the armed men, closing in. _

_"Here's the deal, you're all with us now." stated the scarfed man. "Come with us, and you might live a little longer."_

_"Why should we come with you?" James heard himself ask. "If you're going to kill us anyway? We don't know you, you don't know us. We could be completely worthless." _

_"That's not for me to decide." he replied poisonously. " I don't see how you have any choice in this matter."_

_"There's always a choice." came a voice from behind James. It was gruff and sounded a little older than him, for a second however he thought the voice was someone else entirely. The child took from his pocket an object and threw it on the ground. James and the rest of the crew took giant steps backwards as they saw it was an unpinned grenade from the black market. It rolled as the man shouted "N-" but the blast cut him off as the bridge of Central flew apart. Metal grate spewed everywhere, and chaos erupted. James heard a deafening ring in his ears as he observed the scene around him: Muffled bullets were fired, screaming and yelling as some tried to run or hold onto the railing while the guard tried to rip them off. James saw from his position on his stomach an open sewer channel just 10 or so feet below him. He climbed to the broken and skewed railing, perching himself for a moment to calculate the chance of a jump. Amidst all the screaming and smoke he saw a man mouthing "GET HIM!" James felt his eyes widened as he leapt from the railing and began to plummet down to the water. He felt the drop, lunged into the open tunnel, he crashed hard through the waterfall and into the tunnel. He found it strange that he couldn't hear his own cry of pain as he landed. Picking himself up, he stumbled and sprinted away, down the tunnel and back towards safety. He couldn't hear, but he felt the trembling of the ground, hundreds of men must've been down here, all searching for something. A treasure? _

_James stumbled around the corner to find himself face to face with some other men. They shouted mute commands and raised their weapons, James turned and fled, using the wall for a bullet guard. They became more and more distant, James smiled at himself; I'm the fastest one here, assholes he smiled to himself, never gonna catch me. And then a sensation flew through him, he was falling. James had stepped into a ladder chute without seeing, he felt himself fall and tried in vain to grab the ladder, the force ripped him from the bar and he plummeted to the ground, a sickening smack was heard. And James lay lifeless on the ground. It was dark and the energy of the tunnel swirled around him, dark shadows encompassed the boy, holding him in its embrace. _

He felt his broken body being dragged, pain sheered through him each time his toes grazed the concrete. They had taken his shoes, he could feel the cold of the tunnel. He heard strange noises and saw a blurred light, he could feel his life pour out of him, his leg seemed like a dead weight. As he was dragged in he saw just where he was: In the deepest heart of the sewer, at the base level in the deepest hole where no light reached. The men roughly sat him against a wall underneath a bridge of some kind. There must've been a channel or canal or something, James could hear the water thundering against the walls and echoing throughout the chamber. He could feel flesh against his arm, he turned his head to find other children sitting and shivering. Some were bleeding others were just frozen, he could not recognize a single one.

"Don't move," spat the man, sitting him upright. "You got me? You move? I shoot."

"He ain't goin' anywhere, just look that leg." replied the second.

James did not look, he turned his head to find the other child doing so, her face was pale and drained of any color. she leaned in close to James's ear.

"Do you know where we are?" she asked fearfully, James couldn't make out half of what she was saying, his head was so fuzzy.

"No." he replied, not opening his eyes. "No, I don't." He leaned against the wall underneath the bridge, calmed by the melodic current of the water. His senses were so clogged and he was so tired. He could feel his sweat pouring down his face and he could smell his own fear like he could a skunk. Here in this place, pressed against other trembling children, James felt a sense of unity. _This is it, _he thought to himself. A great quiet entered the room now, all noises ceased: _This must be what death feels like. _But he could hear the heavy footsteps of boots, the raspy breathing: He wasn't dying, something was coming.

"Oh, god." he heard the girl gasp in horror. "It's back."

James opened his eyes halfway, looking at the girl's chattering teeth. "What's back?" he asked as he let out a weak cough.

The girl turned and looked at him, and then his leg. She spoke with clarity now, even as she trembled: "You better die now if your gonna do it, this thing won't take any pity on you." James was about to ask another question, but his heart leapt into his throat as he heard the footsteps on the stairs. An exuding pressure came from the figure, James looked to the ground like the rest of the children as it drew closer and closer. He looked at its feet, as it stood there next to the other guards.

"What are these?" it asked in an alien voice, it sounded cold and without emotion, like something inanimate and dead. "Why did you bring them here?"

"Someone brought them to us, says their the best climbers and runners in the sewer." answered the first man.

"Children?" it hissed. Its bulking figure swayed back and forth, shifting its tectonic weight from one leg to the other. The rasp in its breathing unsettled James to his very core, if he dared look up, he feared that he would be staring into the face of a monster. A dead ram's head in place of a human's, with coiled horns and flaming tar that dripped over its dead nose. "What about this one?" it asked coldly, and James knew it was pointing to him.

"He almost got away." the second man replied. "He jumped from the bridge, it was just chance that the other men foun-" An awful, sickening crack interrupted him, he dropped to the floor a dead weight, his neck had been broken: He was dead. The children around him squirmed and let out small whimpers of terror. James felt a great tug on his hair, he was blinded by pain, he felt himself dragged into the air. As he winced he could feel the creature look him over. Up and down, inspecting him, judging him.

"Put this one in the pit with the other ones." it growled, James held his eyes together like glue, his breathing came out in spurts and little coughs, until he felt himself drop to the ground. James kept silent, gritting his teeth to push himself through the pain.

"Listen well, you have two choices:" it spoke with a venomous rumble, "You're with us, or...you're with him." The monster stalked off, the other men leapt into action. Ripping James from the ground they carried him across the wide and open area. He didn't recognize this part of the sewer, no concept of where they were, all he knew was that he was in danger. They tied a rope roughly around his middle, he looked at them with a mixture of delirium and despair. "What are you...doing?" he gasped softly.

"Untie this when you're at the bottom." stated the man as he pointed at the rope. "You don't, I'll count to three and then I'll shoot you." The man then threw James into the hole before he could object. He felt his back crack when the jerk of the rope caught him. Coughing, they began to lower him roughly. James remembered calling out, thrashing and struggling until he felt his body touch the moist bottom of the pit. It was small, just big enough so that he could sit down with his legs stretched. He untied the rope immediately, he fought his tears back and tried in vain to subdue his shaking. He heard the man's voice from up top:

"You survive down there for a while and we'll pull you out." he laughed. "For now, you're on your own."

And then they slid the top over the pit. They did it slowly, so that James could feel his hope drain away. Small holes had been drilled in for air, and for small rays of what little light there was to waft through. James wept bitterly as it fit into its place, looking up he realized the inevitable truth, the horrifying and devastating truth that now child should face: James for the first time in his life faced his mortality.

He was alone.

_ The creature stalked back and forth, his thundering steps could be heard across the tunnels and halls of this maze. It stalked through the darkness with such ease, such well versed practice, such ease. Its hand felt the walls around him as he breathed in his new base. This pit, this labyrinth would serve it well in the months to come. The all encompassing darkness was welcoming to the creature. As it headed down the halls, it contemplated the pit's inner workings: Rotten, dying and wholly corrupt. The surface was just a mirage, but here, here was Gotham's true face. This festering and seeping wound of a place. The creature let the drumming of the hammers ring in its ears. Its opaque eyes scanned for any life that could be down here. The creature frowned as it saw something that displeased it, angered and enraged it. Crouching now, it saw the singular bat on the edge of the wall's turn: A white bat. The creature let out a rumbling growl as it ran its talons over the bat, something is down here, it thought. Their symbol has betrayed them, and its consequence will be their death. _

_It turned the corner and saw a glimmering light come from the end. The beast trudged towards the blinding light, the infuriating hope, walking with a steady pace, its hoofs clamored against the ground. The creature saw the figure holding the flashlight turn: A girl. _

_She looked horrified, her blue eyes widened and her mouth fell open. The creature reveled in her fear, her stink of horror, lumbered closer still he felt her trembles and shakes. She then turned out the light, thinking that the action would save her._

_ She looked around, held her light close to her chest, her short hair pressed to her forehead from the sweat. She looked around blindly, no movement came from her, she didn't even seem to breathe. The creature extended its claws towards her face, caressed the outline of her body. The pleasure of control was almost too much for the creature, the power that it held over its prey was, to him, exquisite. Helpless, the beast thinks, completely helpless. Carefully it lowers its face to the same level as hers. It knows she is aware of its presence. That's why her head is turned, afraid and rightfully so. The beast reaches out for her throat now, hearing her ragged breathing and panic its so close to touching her. But a voice rings out and a light flashes: The creature does not take its eyes from hers, they meet eyes for the first time. It pours all its hate and fear into her, cramming the waste into her sea-blue eyes. She screams as the darkness envelops them once more, the creature feels a tiny push from the back: Another child. It picks up the child by the hair, notices the blood pouring from her face. She fights in vain, lashing out her hands in desperation. Suddenly, the creature feels a familiar sensation: Pain. _

_Dropping the child, it hisses, struggling to control its composure; enraged at the young woman, it watches her sprint into the distance. It sways for a moment, its only sign of hesitation, the creature ponders chasing the two, but decides not to. They would come, it resides, they would eventually come back. These were children of the dark, children of the filth: Unwanted, aborted, and undeserving of the world above. And when they come they will be consumed in the fire, all would be consumed in the rising fire. _


	7. Chapter 7

Ariadne arrived wide eyed at the entrance of Gale's home. He sat there, back turned even as he heard the panicked and uneven rasps that escaped her lips. It was empty and there was silence.

"Where's Ethan, Gale?" she breathed as she walked towards his turned back. "Where is he?" She placed a hand to turn him only to be besieged with a vision of horrific violence. His eyes had been gouged out and in them were two silver coins. In his bloated hand was a wad of blood soaked dollar bills. Terror filled Ariadne as she stumbled mutely backwards, hitting the celled wall. Her hands covered her mouth as bile leaked between her lips, she chocked and coughed in horror. She didn't allow herself to cry, to cry would be to despair. After minutes she stood herself up shaking, careful not to look at her mutilated friend she searched the celled cage for any sign of Ethan. She gazed hard at the floor and found nothing, she turned the entire room upside down in frustration, she cursed and spat. The silence of the sector was almost unbearable, nothing but the roar of the water penetrated the air. It was saturated in death: Something had occurred here, something big. As she was about to take her leave, she noticed again the blood soaked bills in Gale's hand. She looked tentatively at him, as if she was afraid he would re-animate himself and grab her. Uncurling his fingers she took the items and held it to the light.

The bill was a fake. In fact it wasn't a bill at all, just paper on it was scribbled in small scrawls "The Fire Rises". It puzzled Ariadne greatly as she stuffed the papers into her pockets. Climbing down the ladder she finally took notice of the onslaught of Gotham's true citizens, the elderly, weak and disabled were strewn on the floors of the sewer bridge. Ari dared not to breathe as she passed them: _None of the young ones are here, _she thought to herself, _which could mean..._She allowed herself a glimmer of hope in that pit of death. That her brother may well be alive, that she would find both of them well, and take them away from this place. Her thoughts returned to Officer and she shivered at the punishment that surely awaited her once she had submerged herself from this tunnel. It wouldn't matter then, they would be safe, and that's all that mattered.

She would go East, to the Wild Things Gang that ran in the sector. A shiver ran down her spine, she tentatively touched her arm in response, dragged her finger across her arm where an old scar lay. The Wild Things Gang: Dangerous, efficient and silent. She would sooner see another death ridden tunnel like this than have to run to them for help. _You have no choice, _she thought to herself, _Besides...they could've been the ones who did this._

Lost in her thoughts she had neglected the dead that lay and tripped over an outstretched ankle. She fell hard only to bring her head up face-to-face with a woman's eyes. Her dead lifeless eyes, she was older, she reminded Ariadne of her mother, she had her mother's eyes: Dead and cold. Ariadne began to shake and tremble, her eyes teaming with tears, her bottom lip quivered as that dead woman gazed into her face. It took in everything, watched Ariadne with the upmost attention. Ariadne stayed like that for what seemed to be an eternity, she timidly reached her hand towards the woman's face, closing her eyes. The action chilled her, reminding her of the mother that had passed. The father that had left, the solace that she now faced.

Her thoughts turned to Ethan and James as she stood once more, breathing their fear into her own: it was nothing to compare. Her brothers were out there too, amongst death and darkness. She thought of them overwrought with despair, sobbing desperately at an unknown entity that swallowed their beings without remorse or mercy. On thinking this she found herself running, the sector of death and rot well behind her. She pushed herself forward, hoping that it would not be too late.

_ Ethan stumbled again over his own feet. His head seared with pain as the man pulled at his hair. He had been pulled so high that his toes barely scraped the ground. The tall man hissed at him to quell his sobbing and threatened him with the most terrifying and brutal obscenities that he shook even more violently. The smell of blood and gore still clung to all those walking in the tunnels, he shook from the earlier events._

_He had sat carelessly in front of Gale. He watched his face twitch in annoyance, and glare at him in contempt. Ethan would have continued on, ignoring his gaze if it had not been for a deep rumble, a violent shaking along the wall. He remembered the lights going out and screams ringing throughout the columned pit. Bright lights and heat flashed and danced before Ethan. He felt the sweat of Gale's body as it was pressed against his. He could see dancing lights flickering about and screams were heard, they were all encompassing. Ethan shook as he tasted a salty iron flavored air and began to smell the foul stench that surrounded and encased the tunnel. Ethan soon felt the abrupt shock of touch as he was ripped from Gale's stomach. He couldn't see, but he heard: Gale's shrieks and pleas punctuated with the screaming and the crashes of objects coupled with the swears of several figures. _

_"Take the boy! I have the boy, I have use!" he gargled. To Ethan, it sounded muffled like he had water in his mouth. He felt its spray on his face. _

_Ethan felt something warm on his body, some warm liquid that slithered down his garments, clinging to his chest. A grip was now placed firmly on his head and he felt nauseous as he was pulled to his feet. A bright light shone on his face, he closed his eyes half to the brightness the other half to avoid the horror that lay a foot away from him. _

_"How old is this one?"_

_"Old enough." the other replied. Ethan felt himself pee, it trickled down his leg as his lower lip rippled. He wept silently, he wished for his sister, she would save him. _

_"We'll see. Bring him along too then, if he doesn't keep up...shoot him." _

_Ethan was then dragged, the flickering lights danced as the dark wraiths broke into a sprint. He dragged his feet over the lumpy and uneven ground, he did not dare sneak a peak. The stench was overwhelming: Death was saturate in the air. _

Ariadne raced for the East side, she felt the bitter winds of the North Sector as she sprinted down the corridors, choosing each turn with expert precision. Her thoughts danced about her, filled her with the determination to confront the Wilds. She wasn't apprehensive or even afraid: the need to save her family subdued all emotion, save anger.

The Wild Things Gang had formed long before she arrived in True Gotham. The first month after their arrival, Ariadne made the mistake of stealing from them. Even now she couldn't remember what it was, she figured it must've been important. The Wilds found her three days later, and they beat her in front of her siblings, they beat her within an inch of her life. After a month of recovery they returned to beat her, along with her sister. It was then that they found their nest in North Sector, where they'd remained since.

The man who issued her beating was their leader was Moses. He was a young and angry man. He had through his nose a septum piercing and his smooth afro was always pulled back into a samurai-esque pony tail. He was lean and tall, fast as a whip too. He and his gangs ran whatever crime was left in Top and True Gotham. Moses and his wild things ran throughout the tunnels like mad vikings burning and pillaging where they went. The only place where they would not go willingly was to their haven in the North. Ariadne, cunningly set charges once in her sector of the sewer, eradicating a good number of Moses's men. Moses since then would not approach her side of the sewer on the understanding that she would not approach his. _Times have changed _she growled internally, _this time he's gone too far. _She figured that Moses would strike against her in some way, if he took her family then he had her heart.

Ariadne soon discovered the use and necessity of setting drop points for weapons and food. She rounded the next corner halting at the near wall. Kneeling she carefully slid the loose brick that stuck subtly out. She reached in and felt the cool metal of the gun handle and pulled it out. She checked the cartridge and the chamber before she tucked the weapon into the back of her jeans, flipping her heavy grayed sweater over the belt loops. She felt her boot for the outline of the knife that she carried with her, strapped to her sock with tape. This was all she needed, this and the shadows: She never once broke pace after that.

_Ethan swallowed his cry of pain as he was slammed into the wall. Relief washing over him like a bath as the man released his hair. It was hard to blink his eyes through the dried, sticky substance that had been splattered over his face. His lips were chapped, but he steadied himself on the impulse of licking them, afraid of the salty metal flavor that would return to his mouth. _

_"Bazhak says they found more in the central tunnels." spat the figure, holding in his hand a black box that crackled and popped like a fire. _

_"Shit, then what are we gonna do with these?" asked the other, a panicked tone embedded in his voice. _

_"Dunno, drown em', use em' , they're dead either way."_

_Ethan trembled at the remarks being said, mortality gripped his throat into a squeezed column of panic. He gulped dryly as he tried not to make a sound._

_"I say we shoot two now, that way...we won't get punished if we bring too many."_

_"Bring too little and we'll be punished more severely."_

_"Better get going...this place gives me the creeps." replied the first as he started to march on. Ethan felt the heavy hand of the second man grip tightly into his shoulder and collar bone. His strong fingers cut into Ethan's collarbone and for once he wished that he had eaten those cans of crap his sisters fed him, he would have been less scrawny, stronger, better. He stumbled with the other for hours, he coughed a majority of the way, the smell of iron and clumped blood were still in his nostrils, the taste still in his mouth. _

_ They approached a tunnel guarded by two other men, stopping the two men escorting them began to speak. Ethan tried to look at the ground and concentrate on the ringing in his ears, if he was going to die, he didn't want to know when it would happen. _

_"Did you hear about the central bridge?"_

_"No, what happened?"_

_"Blew up, they caught a kid who jumped from it, you should see him, got him in the hole."_

_"We got some too, from the west side."_

_"What did you do with the others?"_

_"Boss said to clear 'em out, so we cleared 'em out."_

_"What do you want with these brats?"_

_"Dunno."_

_"Kill em, I guess."_

_"Yea-" The guard's words were sharply cut as a loud clang echoed throughout the tunnel. Ethan shot his head up, along with the others, he whipped his head violently to the side. As the men steadied their weapons, Ethan peered into the darkness, he saw nothing. _

_"What the fuck was that?" asked one._

_"Probably just a ra-" but the second was interrupted by a slicing buzz. Blood immediately sprayed from the second guard's forehead as he crumbled to the ground. In a frenzy, the three others pushed the group of children towards the mouth of the new corridor and began firing into the abyss. Shots rang out and lights danced along the corridor walls. Ethan made the decision there to run into the darkness, if he was shot, he was shot, at least he would have a say in his end. He took off without a word to the others, sprinting past the guards before feeling a strong hand rip the neck of his shirt backwards. Ethan his the ground hard, he abruptly, instinctually started to kick and lash out, he heard the obscenities pour out of the man as he did so. The other two had fallen to the ground in a head, and the one remaining fired off shots into the black like a mad-man. With his arm he carelessly threw Ethan into the wall, Ethan felt his own spit and blood erupt from his mouth on the impact. As he crumbled to the ground, he felt the cool steel of the gun against his sopping hair. Ethan, drenched with fear and sweat, trembled at the feel of the man's gun. "Later, asshole." he chuckled, as Ethan clenched his eyes shut. He heard a tremendous pop, assured that he was dead, he snapped his open to the feel of a hot liquid being poured over his soaked body. It smelled, ghastly, When he opened his mouth he could taste the strange and unwelcome flavor in his mouth. A heavy weight was pressed against his body, pinning him to the floor. He was smothered, encompassed by this, and the fear was still marinated into his skin. Ethan then realized that he was still alive, he glared up at the foreign object pressed on his body. Through the shadows he could make out the outline of his former terrorist. He screamed and kicked, even after the body was removed. Bright lights flashed all around him, as light footsteps trotted over the ground. The light was pointed directly at him, Ethan gaped at the origin of the light, he stared into the face of his rescuer. He was tall, even in his crouch, his hair was pulled back as into a knot of some sort. He had a hard face, and a long scar ran down his right eye and cheek, from his nose dangled a bull's ring. Ethan recognized him, the years had passed and the face changed, but Ethan was instantly aware of his new danger. His terrifying rescuer: He trembled as he stared into the eyes of Wild Thing Moses. _


End file.
